Hello dear We♥Weddings readers, this is Cynthia signing in for the first time in a month, I think? Eep! Sorry for the lack of updates from my end, I've actually had my hands full working on the layouts for the upcoming Beautiful Weddings issue (abangan), among other things.

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Anyway, in Wedding Essentials' current issue's We to You letter, we mentioned that we've both been pursuing our passions on the side - Marbs with travel and me with other artistic diversions.

I'm happy to report that we are still very much at it. As of this writing, jetsetter Marbee is halfway across the globe travelling through Russia and Paris! I'm sure she'll have lots of stories to share with us soon. :)

In my case, I recently took part in Frailty, a group show featuring the works of 33 female artists in the fields of art and design. Please see this article for a complete listing of all the chickas.

The photo below features a detailed portion of my piece, Sleeping Like A Marble Girl. (Photo by Karlo Samson):



We had the opening night last Saturday and it turned out be quite a party since it also coincided with Pablo Gallery's 3rd anniversary. [photos]

The exhibit will run until October so please feel free to drop by Pablo Gallery at Cubao X to take a peek at all the lovely artworks made by my colleagues in the art/design industry. :)

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And because I'm still on diversion mode, my Print Gocco is something I've been putting to good use lately.

From Wikipedia:

Gocco (プリントゴッコ, Purinto Gokko?, "Print Gocco") is a self-contained compact color printing system invented in 1977 by Noboru Hayama.

The Gocco is such a neat contraption - I kinda liken it to having your own mini printing press. Brides-to-be all over the world have been going crazy making d-i-y invites, favor tags and personalized bridal stationery with it. (And then after you get married, you can use it for your thank you cards, your first born's baptismal cards, your daughter's debut inv... alright, you get my drift.)


It's really fun and easy to use too. There's a step-by-step tutorial and guide on my blog that I posted some months ago [go]

Here are some photos of cute printed things others have made using the Gocco:






After seeing all that eye candy you're now probably thinking "...but where can I buy a Print Gocco and its supplies in the Philippines?"

A quick Google search led me to One Tiny Party's website. Tin, the shopkeeper is an Iloilo-based stay-at-home mom who decided to start the business while planning for her son's first birthday (isn't that sweet?). She sells Gocco kits, inks, bulbs, and other paraphernalia you will need to lead the Gocco life. [go]

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We ♥ D-I-Yers! If you plan to make your own invitations and other wedding essentials (<--uuy, subtle brand placement), please drop me a note along with a photo of your creation so we can feature it on this space!

Jumping off from Marbs' previous entry about the beautiful (and very unique) ALL BLACK-themed wedding she attended (part 1, part 2), I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips on how to choose a color theme for your wedding.

THE EASY WAY: google. Yes, the internet is definitely every busy bride's friend. These days you can search for anything online, including "wedding color palettes" and come up with a gamut of interesting resources.

But since we here at WE HEART WEDDINGS are advocates of having your day your way, let's take it a step further, shall we?

THE CREATIVE AND PERSONAL WAY: Why not take color inspiration from something important to you? Like, maybe the cherry cheesecake you and your sweetie first exchanged "I Love Yous" over.



From that image alone you can already pick up a classy and good-looking color combo:

Pink and different shades of brown is an elegant and classy combination so the addition of extra hues make it even yummier than it already is.

OR let's say you and your honey share a love for the music of Weezer? (Sorry, I had to insert that one being a Weezer-nut myself)



Their album covers can inspire a fun theme that looks like this:

The vibrancy of this motif suits a young and dynamic couple, possibly those of you who are looking for alternatives from the safe but tired frou-frou look.

There's so much more you can take color inspiration from: sunsets, a concert ticket or poster, your pet, a postcard from a vacation you took together. What's important is that these items are important to you and your groom, then all the more that your wedding theme will be significant and personal.

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The color theme for my own wedding in 2003 was sparked by a love my husband and I share for star fields. I also recall being entranced by a children's story I once read that talked about a fairy dressed in a gown made of the colors of twilight and moonbeams. Thus we came up with a shades-of-blue plus silver motif:



Everything from the gowns and the table decor to the giveaways matched the theme which made for a memorable evening for my husband and myself. [Shoutouts to designer Tippi Ocampo, who was also one of my matrons of honor, for the beautiful starry night-inspired gowns and our good friend Terry Uy for the lovely photos].

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Til next time, here's wishing all of you fun wedding preparation moments.

Your wedding invitation is definitely a key ingredient in personalizing your wedding and I think that nothing can make an invite stand out more than excellent use of typography. The choice of type is usually a good representation of the bride & groom's individual personalities and is also a great way to give guests an initial peek to what the big day will be like. Let me show you samples of invites from all over the net to help demonstrate this idea:


This charming hand-drawn invite design by Bird&Banner sets the mood for a casual, outdoor garden wedding


There's nothing like a cute hand-printed monogram to set your stationery apart from the cookie-cutter clutter. Again by Bird&Banner


Proof that sans-serif boldface block type can look elegant. This design by Minted suits a no-frills couple.


Here's a great design that's able to blend the sensibilities of block type with calligraphy. By Minted.


If you really want your invite to be unique and memorable, you can hire a calligrapher/designer OR better yet, make your monogram and draw your own maps. Nothing can get more personalized than that! This design by May+Belle.

And finally, do take a peek at this super-duper sweet (and typographically elaborate!) proposal video.


All together now, awwwww! (in italics) -video via Coudal